Out of the Shadows
by Paper Pearls
Summary: Andromeda Black makes a decision that will forever change her life. One shot.


**This is my response to the first of **_**Sinistra Black's**_** "Day By Day" challenges.**

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"_With a kiss let us set out for an unknown world."_

Andromeda Black wasn't certain of anything. There were so many questions; _should she stay or should she go? Would they forgive her? Could she cope without the privileges she had been raised with?_ Aware of the risks of being caught, she sat down on the lid of her trunk and attempted to gather her thoughts in the otherwise deserted hallway of twelve, Grimmauld Place. It was past midnight and the house was quiet, but it was easy to imagine Bellatrix slipping from shadow to shadow, or Druella descending the stairs, aware that their ideology was being questioned. Andromeda shook her head fiercely- if she was old enough to leave home and marry a man, then she was _certainly_ too old to fear her family's disapproval. But why wasn't she sure of what to do?

Bellatrix was never in any doubt about the so-called purity of their blood. Her older sister had initially scoffed at the idea of muggle born witches and wizards being their equals- the features so like Andromeda's own, only sharper in a way that made Bellatrix at once beautiful and dangerous in ways she knew she could never hope to match- contorted in a condescending sneer. When she had persisted in her argument Bella's patience had been worn away, leaving a glazed hardness in her eyes that chilled Andromeda to the bone. No, Bellatrix had no problem accepting the hierarchy of blood purity. _But she had only ever been on its uppermost tier_.

Their mother Druella valued the family's position in high society above all else. Nothing mattered more than the sacred name of Black. It held power and influence, which were as food and drink to the Black family matriarch. Andromeda knew that she was a disappointment to her mother. She wasn't politically cunning like Bellatrix or socially ambitious like Narcissa- her elder and younger sisters lived for each of Druella's passions and so earned her approval, but did this make their mother's opinions right? It was only when she arrived at Hogwarts that Andromeda realised for the first time how stilted and loveless her parents' marriage was. Only once had she seen her father kiss her mother. They occupied separate floors of the house. _It was sad to think about_. Maybe it was simplistic, but Andromeda wanted to be happy.

_Ted made her happy_- more so than years of monotonous dinner parties, elitist propaganda and being overlooked by her parents ever had. Andromeda knew then that she would go because it didn't matter that her future would become uncertain; she had a shot at being truly loved, and that was worth anything.

Not everyone was given a chance like this. Bellatrix was too fanatical to question herself. Narcissa was too vain to see beyond her own importance. Andromeda was the lucky one. She had never thought of it that way until this moment, in the gloomy entrance to her childhood home with thousands of possibilities ahead of her. Perhaps the freedom of being uncertain wasn't a bad thing. Smiling with more confidence, Andromeda stood upright and brushed her dark hair from her face.

Her footsteps echoed against the marble flooring, each attenuating after a matter of seconds. Never would she have a lasting impact upon the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, but that didn't matter to Andromeda. As she waved her wand and opened the door, a fragrant waft of the summer air reached her nose and rekindled the wanderlust that had plagued Andromeda her entire life.

Before she could reconsider her actions, she flicked her wand to make the trunk follow her and crossed the threshold of the Black family's ancestral home. Andromeda was not struck by lightning or pulled back in by the grasping hands of her family. Relieved that neither scenario had come to pass, she closed the door over and sped down the steps. Placing a slender hand on top of the trunk that contained all of her worldly possessions, Andromeda envisioned the outside of the home she would share with Ted and apparated.

Immediately she was engulfed in a pair of strong arms. The scent of soap mixed not unpleasantly with a slight aroma of sweat filled her nostrils, and Andromeda knew that she had made the right decision. Ted pulled back and looked down at her, hands still firmly clasped around her waist as though he feared she was liable to vanish at any moment. His warm grey eyes were full of concern.

"I thought you weren't going to come." His voice was level, but Andromeda could see the tension in his brow. The words didn't echo around the small kitchen- they stayed with Andromeda and permeated her consciousness.

"I'm here now." Although her words belied none of her apprehension, Ted knew her well enough to see beyond the calm facade she displayed. Andromeda couldn't help but panic. _What if Ted stopped loving her? What would happen to her then? _

"Yes, you are. I can't tell you how good that makes me feel." Ted grinned in a way that reminded Andromeda of every reason that she loved him. This openness was something that had never existed in her family, but now there would be no more scheming and duplicity. He bridged the gap between them, pressing a lingering kiss against her lips, and Andromeda felt safe.

"I love you, Ted Tonks." She smiled, tracing the line of his jaw. There was nothing for which she would exchange the feel of his skin underneath her fingertips.

"Even though I don't have a great big town house or a fortune for you?" The words were spoken teasingly, but Andromeda could sense the element of truth in his question.

"I love you and nothing else matters. I'm free." Andromeda laughed and covered his face with kisses. "I'm free."

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**Thanks for reading. Please review. **


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